


Playing the Part

by Broken_Clover



Category: Sly Cooper (Video Games)
Genre: Bad Jokes, Family Dinners, Father Figures, Gen, I am speaking it into existence, Introspection, Missing Scenes, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panda King is team dad yall, Short, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:28:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28561296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Broken_Clover/pseuds/Broken_Clover
Summary: The Cooper Gang is its own sort of bizarre family, undeniably, but it's still strange to have someone as the Team Dad
Comments: 16
Kudos: 20





	1. Disco Diver

**Author's Note:**

> I was not satisfied with the one fic so now you will have to suffer more of me. Apologies.
> 
> The goal is to have a different focus character in each chapter

As it had turned out, Dimitri took to diving with the same level of enthusiasm he had for most things. At least the time he spent in the water was time he wasn’t able to talk everyone’s ear off with his bizarre pseudo-jive, but he seemed intent to fix that as soon as he burst out of the ocean, presenting the last of the blast collars with a triumphant cry.

“Eyy, bros and bro-ettes! Dimitri is back with the goods, savvy? We gonna let loose some serious bang on that bad dude’s boat!”

“Excellent work, Dimitri. These will be invaluable to our operation.” Bentley wheeled over to claim them. “I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting for your first time in the field, but that was absolutely outstanding!”

“Bah! You expected anything less? I was slipping in and out of that water like a-” The man cut himself off, suddenly appalled as he looked around. “What kinda scene is this, bro?? Dimitri saves you guyses fuzzy tails and you don’t even have the manners to stick around? I’m like a world-class dancer on an empty floor here!”

“Oh, jeez…” Bentley looked across the empty deck, occupied only by the two of them and a black-and-white blob sitting at the other end. “The others are busy setting up the rest of the ship’s reinforcements. As much as we want to be around each other all the time, there’s a lot of work to do, and sometimes that means we have to split up.”

“Hmph.”

The sound of heavy footsteps made both of them jump, but the terror was short-lived. Panda King always had that severe expression on his face, but it was something they had simply gotten used to. Though he still towered over everyone else, which was naturally a little intimidating.

Dimitri, at least, seemed pleased. “At least someone can appreciate my sweet disco diving!”

Panda King looked down at Bentley. “Did you acquire what was needed?”

“Yes, we have all the supplies we need. Hopefully Penelope is finished with the mounting equipment so we can go ahead and improve the cannons as soon as possible.” The turtle replied.

“Good. Now take that suit off.”

“Eh...wha?” Dimitri gave him an odd look. “I’m not picking up the cards you’re playing, bro.”

“You are endothermic. So your temperature will drop if you keep wearing wet clothes for too long. You’re going to make yourself ill at this rate.”

“Eyy, you think Dimitri can’t hold his cool? My greasy-sweet self is _always_ the hottest thing in the room!”

Panda King was unenthused. He picked Dimitri up by the scruff of the neck and carried him over to the ship’s hatch.

“Woah, woah, woah! What kinda business are you pulling here, Panda dude?!”

“Take those off and go put on something warm. I will not have anyone on this boat catching a cold when it could have been avoided.”

The lizard cut his losses and slithered below deck. “Not cool, dude.”

“Neither is hypothermia.” He replied back. “Or...perhaps it is?”

Dimitri scuttled off into the darkness. Immediately after, Bentley rolled up to where the other man was standing.

“Panda King…” He said, very slowly. “Did you just make a dad joke?”


	2. Country Mouse

The team had decided to take some downtime by docking in Costa Rica for a few weeks and laying low. Most of it was spent on the boat or in the quiet, isolated cove they’d managed to hide it in, though every so often someone would venture out, primarily for replenishing the food stock. 

Things had managed to get into a buzz over the last few hours. Someone had managed to overhear that Bentley and Penelope had been planning their first ‘real’ date as a couple in a night on the town, and it wasn’t long before everyone knew. Nobody had any intention to intervene, but it certainly brought about plenty of unwanted advice, and gossip from the rest of the team.

By and large, Panda King had merely ignored it. It certainly wasn’t any of his business. The only real concern he had was the fact that Bentley provided most of the collective common sense of the team, and him being gone for the evening meant the possibility of him getting work done in peace and quiet was significantly lower than normal. But still, aside from that, it wasn’t something he needed to care much about.

Or, at least it _was,_ until he found Penelope pacing back and forth across the galley in a panic.

She immediately jumped at the sound of the door slamming shut behind him. “Eep! O-oh, it’s just- it’s just you. I’m sorry, did you need something?”

“Apologies, I did not mean to startle you. I merely require a sharp blade to cut firework fuses. Mine has grown dull.”

Penelope immediately went back to her nervous pacing. “Okay. Okay. There’s a pair of scissors in the kitchen cabinet.”

“Thank you.”

He fully intended to find what he needed and leave her to whatever it was that was making her stressed. But despite himself, Panda King took all of three steps before sighing and turning in the mouse’s direction. “So. What is wrong? You seem troubled.”

“It- It’s nothing.”

“That is clearly untrue.” She was practically twitching, and the grip she had on herself was so strong that it was pushing the sleeves of her dress back up her forearms. “Tell me what is wrong.”

“No, no! It’s okay! I’m excited! I’m…” Penelope slumped, sighing. “I’ve never actually been on a date before. I’m so nervous! What are the rules for this!? There isn’t some manual to read! It took me forever just to decide whether or not to dress fancy for it, and I was gonna braid my hair before going out but I just can’t get it to go where I want it to!”

Ah. Nerves. Penelope seemed a bit old for the common pitfalls of teenage romance (at least based on those western shows Jing liked to watch) but it made some sense if it really was her first time. Panda King didn’t feel appropriate offering advice on romance and dating (nor did he have much to offer in the first place) but it would have felt impolite to not at least offer a placating remark.

“I am sure it will be fine. Although, if you do wish to tie your hair back, I would be happy to assist.”

“Huh?” She looked up at him in shock. “You- you mean it? You can do my hair?”

He nodded. “I could at least make an attempt.”

“Well, um, okay.” She sat down on a nearby chair, turning away. “Just be gentle, alright?”

Panda King sat down behind her, taking a moment to ensure the seat would support him. He carefully looked over her long blonde hair as it shone dimly in the poorly-lit room. “I don’t suppose you have a hairbrush?”

“I do, actually.” Penelope pulled a small comb from her pocket and offered it up. “Does this suffice?”

He was surprised at the sight of the gem-studded trinket. “Where did you get something like this?”

“Sly pickpocketed it off one of the pirate dogs back in Blood Bath Bay. Apparently the guys make a lot of money by selling that stuff. But I thought it looked really nice, so they let me keep it.”

“It’s certainly in better hands now.” He ran it through her hair in even strokes, tugging carefully on knots and watching it straighten out.

“I’d like to think so- ow.” She winced as the bristles snagged. “Y’know, you’re a lot more talkative than I thought, Mr. King.”

It was clear that even with the conversation, Penelope was nervous around him. But he wasn’t sure if that was due to who he was or simply from his stature. It had to be more than a little nerve-wracking, being a mouse around anyone so much larger than her. If he wasn’t careful, he could easily break her neck on accident. But his hands were slow and meticulous, pulling back long blonde strands before starting to tuck them into one another, row after row. “Do you have a tie?”

She passed back a yellow ribbon, which he pulled into a neat bow to hold it all together. “There. The style is simple, but hopefully it meets your desires.”

Penelope reached behind her shoulder until she managed to grab on and pull the long braid over to see. “Wow, this...this is genuinely amazing, I couldn’t make it this neat!”

“It is easier to make even lines when you can see them.” Panda King gave an affirmative nod and stood up. “Did you need anything else?”

“No, this is more than I could have asked for!” The mouse got up and did a little twirl, making her skirt and hair fluff. “I’m really amazed, how are you so good at braiding?”

For a moment, she could swear she caught a smile on the man’s face. “For most of her upbringing, I was the only parent Jing had. It was only natural I would have learned these things. I'm glad they still serve some purpose.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time will involve collectively recoiling in horror at Sly's shitty food choices (bc PastelBrachypelma has got me hooked on that)


	3. Trash Panda

Sly Cooper was a stealthy, mysterious man, whose frightening combat prowess and trickster nature were only overshadowed by his extensive criminal record. He was certainly not an unknown criminal, and to some he had even gained an almost godlike status as a being capable of slipping in and out of any building with ease, cracking any lock you put in his path, and being able to overthrow a criminal organization in a matter of hours. He was a shadowy being, unstoppable in whatever plots he concocted due to his nature of being cool, composed, and totally unshakeable.

...At least, that was the impression you got if you didn’t know him personally.

It was jarring at first to experience Cooper as an individual, rather than an enemy. Even in underestimating his abilities, the Panda King had been aware of the legacy and myth surrounding the lone survivor of the Cooper lineage. He’d never considered those little, humanizing details. Like the fact that he tended to sleep with his hat still on, how his ears tended to twitch in a very specific pattern when he was deep in thought, or his bizarre food habits.

_Gods above,_ did Cooper have some strange food habits.

He’d assumed it was just a one-time quirk, or twice, or thrice, until he came to the realization that the raccoon was just like that, all the time, with all of his meals. Well, ‘meal’ was not an accurate word for the way he only seemed to eat while in motion, in quick bites or far-too-large ones. Either way, he rarely sat down to eat, nor did it ever appear anywhere close to nutritionally complete.

Actually, he could probably say that about the whole gang, but Cooper was by far the worst. He wasn’t sure why it even bothered him at all in the first place, but Panda King had eventually realized it was that fatherly streak in him coming out. Jing was safe, but far away, so some part of him must have naturally branched out to his new companions. He would have never imagined that someday he’d find himself nitpicking over Sly Cooper’s diet. That was just bizarre.

On the other hand, though, he felt that watching someone drink maple syrup right from the bottle would weird most people out.

He’d started to attempt intervening, but Cooper was always slippery. He always had the excuse of being needed for jobs as he downed half a carton of juice or a container of leftovers without breaking pace. It also didn’t help that he had the habit of eating at the oddest times possible. On more than one occasion, he had spotted the raccoon with his head in the fridge at three in the morning, and the sight was so baffling that by the time his sleep-addled mind was able to parse it, it was more than enough time for Cooper to scurry away with a mouthful of cheese. There was no reasonable way he could have known ahead of time, but the sheer level of luck he’d had in evading him was very questionable.

So instead of a direct intervention, Panda King took an alternate route. Without fanfare or explanation, he dug through every cabinet in the safehouse’s kitchen in search of ingredients. He was no stranger to packaged, premade meals, but he was getting the impression the Cooper Gang ate little more than that. Sure, stowing out in safehouses and moving around all the time meant it was difficult to carry fresh food everywhere, but this was absurd. He swore if he saw one more package of instant noodles, he was going to set the cabinet on fire.

What he had to work with was disappointingly simple, but there was still potential. The kitchen tools were equally sparse, but he found pots to boil water and knives to cut ingredients.

The kitchen was quiet and empty for a long stretch, only occupied by the sounds of things being chopped and prepared. He was so used to the quiet, that even Cooper’s telltale quiet steps were noisy in comparison.

“Have you come looking for a meal?”

“Just something quick.” Before Panda King could stop him, he already had his paws on a can of whipped cream. “Forgot to eat this morning, but I don’t have time to take a break so I’m-”

“Stop.” He managed to grab Cooper by the collar of his shirt and keep him from leaving. “You shouldn’t eat that.”

“Why not? It’s here, and I need the energy.”

“If it’s energy you need, why not eat some actual food?” It took him a few moments of staring at the raccoon to make sure he wouldn’t run away before he actually let him go. “This will be done in a few minutes, just as soon as the rice is finished.”

Though he didn’t run away, he could see Cooper inching off towards the stairs out of the corner of his eye. “Sit-downs aren’t really my kind of thing, and I’ve got a small stomach, so I’m not sure I-

“Cooper.” He said, in a low, dangerous tone. “If you do not choose to sit, I will tie you to the chair.”

He kept his gaze firm, to hammer in the point that he absolutely was not willing to debate it. Eventually, Sly opted to sit at the table with a small huff. “Fine.”

Being forced to sit immediately made him fidget, bouncing a knee and tapping on the table. Despite the repetitive noise, Panda King took it as a surefire sign that Cooper hadn’t tried to escape as he went back to cooking. The fish was taking on a nice color, and the water had almost boiled off. It was hardly traditional fare, but this was not a traditional situation. It would suffice for now.

When he heard the door slam, for a moment he assumed Cooper had finally made a break for it. But when he turned around, Panda King found he now had a second visitor, as Murray stood in the doorframe.

“Something smells good! What’s going on, guys?”

“Panda King decided he’s making dinner.”

The man in question approached the table to place down a pan. “Ah. Good. You are here. Go wash your hands and let the others know dinner will be ready soon.”

Murray tilted his head. “Uh, okay? It’s gonna be weird for them, we don’t usually do, like, a sit-down thing.”

“Well, now you do.”

The hippo gave him a brief, odd look before heading down the nearest hallway. His shouts of “Hey, you guys!” were hardly muffled by the walls.

Sly gave Panda King a look somewhere between smug amusement and reluctance. “So...we’re doing family dinners now?”

“In a sense.” He replied, carrying over another pot to the table. “A sit-down allows for social interaction, and an atmosphere distinct from work. You and your friends have many things to do, but sometimes a break is in order.”

“Huh.” Sly didn’t seem convinced, but he became more interested in a plate that was piled with food and placed in front of him. “Now, what’s this about?”

“Normally, I prefer everyone eating at the same time, but I will not make you wait. I can hear your stomach growl on the other side of the counter. Feel free to go ahead.”

He didn’t, at least not at first. While Panda King went back and forth setting out bowls and plates and mismatched silverware, he simply stared at his food. At some point, he simply must have decided there was no point in letting it get cold, and picked up his fork.

“How is it?”

The raccoon took a few slow, tentative bites. “Not what I’m used to, but...it’s good.”

Heavy hippo footsteps thudded back towards the kitchen, along with several others. Though as soon as he caught sight of them, he looked distraught.

“Aww, man!” Murray complained. “You guys started without us!”

A low, rumbling laugh escaped the Panda King’s mouth. “Relax, hippo. I made more than enough for everyone. Take a seat and help yourself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will involve Bentley!


	4. Turtle Tech

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of hypocrisy in this, for the fact that I'm posting it at 11pm.

“Turtle.”

Bentley didn’t tend to jump out of his shell, at least not as much as he had when he was younger. But there were still plenty of times when he could be taken off-guard, like when he was deep into coding work and focused on prying into databases.

“Yes…?” He looked up...and up...and up, until he could see Panda King’s face. It didn’t help that, for a man of his stature, he was generally very quiet, and there were moments where Bentley managed to forget he was there just from the fact that he made very little noise. Sly was the stealthy one, but they were childhood friends, he knew how to tell when he was nearby. This was something else entirely.

The tall man’s expression was unreadable. “I was hoping to talk to you. Is now appropriate?”

“Uh, sure, of course.” He grabbed a wheel and pivoted in the Panda King’s direction. “Something wrong?”

“Of a sort. It has come to my attention that you are in charge of supplies, yes?”

“Supplies? I mean, I keep track of our food on-hand, if that’s what you’re talking about.”

Bentley wasn’t sure why he was asking, nor why Panda King was moving a hand to his pocket. What was pulled from it ended up being a piece of paper, which he handed over.

The turtle unfurled it into a surprisingly-long ream that nearly fell out of his lap. “Is this...a grocery list?”

“Again, of a sort. I recognize the need for subtlety and packing light, but I feel it would be best for everyone’s health if there were more wholesome foods kept in the safehouse.”

“...Huh.” Bentley skimmed over it again, and placed it down next to his computer. “Yeah, I can look into it. I suppose we could all be eating more fruit, anyway.”

“I thank you. I look forward to it.”

He’d expected that Panda King would have left after that. He attempted to go back to the computer, but he could sense a presence still behind him. “Um, anything else I can help you with?”

He could see the man’s disapproving face reflected in his monitor screen. “You have already done a significant amount of work, you should allow yourself to rest. Too much screen glare will hurt your eyes, especially when it is so dark out. Why don’t you take a break for the night?”

Bentley resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “I appreciate your concern, but this is far from my first all-nighter.”

“That is no excuse. You are a vital part of the team, you should take care of your physical needs.”

It would have been easy to protest things like screen glare, but he was not expecting such a sentiment from someone who had been their former enemy. He wondered if he had heard him right.

“Rest is important.” The man behind him continued. “There will always be time to work in the morning.”

Hesitantly, Bentley pushed away from the desk again. “You’re remarkably insistent about this.”

“Look at it this way. Your mind will be sharper after a night of sleep, and you will be able to accomplish more.”

“...Fine, fine, I’ll do it. Sheesh!” He rolled off towards the door. “It’s not like I’m the only one with a bad sleep schedule, Sly and Murray both hate going to bed at a reasonable hour, too.”

Panda King followed behind. “True. But for now, they are both already asleep.”

“Heh. Figures. Did you tuck them in, too, _dad?”_

He regretted the barb immediately. His arms went rigid as they still clung to his chair’s tires. Cautiously, he sent a look over his shoulder. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”

Instead of anger, he was met with an amused little smile. “Absolutely not. But what a peculiar thing to imagine.”

This was trippy. Bentley was pretty sure he was already dreaming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Though this isn't my most polished or elaborate work, I'm still having a lot of genuine fun in making this. I guess I *really* needed more of that found family Cooper gang


	5. Sleepy Sleepy Hippo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I know this series has already done this pun but shhh

There were plenty of upsides and downsides when it came to expanding the Cooper Gang. More people meant more field operatives, more specialized skills, and an easier time watching each others’ back. But it also meant keeping track of more people at the same time and making sure everyone was adequately prepared for their individual tasks, in order to keep a neatly-organized plan from collapsing into a warped pile of missteps.

Though they were equal as a gang, it was undeniable that Bentley was most involved in the technical details of the plans. He took the information gathered for him , deciphered it, and formulated plans based on that. By and large, he determined who would be best for what. Everyone else just had to follow those directions.

The concept of everyone stumbling over each other in the field insofar had gone surprisingly smoothly. The Guru was a literal telepath who could determine where he needed to be and when at a moment’s notice, Penelope was a triple-checker who had times and details all but written up and down her arms for reference, Panda King was pretty much always on the job and never truly relaxed, and for as nonsensical and bizarre as Dimitri could be, he had a remarkable sense of timekeeping (or, in his words, “There’s some stuff you just can’t be fashionably late for, bro!”) Nonetheless, Bentley had gone through enough derailed operations to want to work harder than ever to instill a sense of concise punctuality across the team.

“Alright, Penelope, you know the drill from here?”

“Yep! As soon as Sly cracks the security door, I’ll send in my RC car and use it to disable the underwater sensors so Dimitri can access the security backup panel.”

“Excellent. Dimitri, do you know what to do once you’re signaled?”

“Ay, easy as a two-sided coin!” The lizard replied from his place bobbing in the water. “Dimitri does the job smooth and sweet, breaks open overhead slide roof so Panda Dude can make the big kaboom!”

Bentley nodded. “Alright, good. This is a time-sensitive task, so make sure you’re all working in sync. The goal is to move fast enough that we can take advantage of every moment of distraction. Otherwise, it’ll give the guards enough time to react and turn on the emergency systems. Now, let’s get this operation rolling!

His dramatic inflection contrasted rather comedically with the cardboard prop door and the three feet of water puddled at the bottom of the room. Still, for the most part, everyone seemed fine playing along, silly as the training exercise was. Better to mess up in practice then to mess up in the field, where there were actual consequences.

“You ready to go?” Sly asked, watching from his overhead perch. He, personally, though Bentley was overthinking all of this, but he could entertain him. It was more for helping the newcomers than him. He just needed to climb the pipes and hit a button, it was child’s play.

Penelope raised a hand to signal him. “Alright, ready!”

In an instant, he was off. The obstacle layout was familiar from all the time they’d spent working in the Hazard Room before. So, nothing remotely difficult. Just a climb, hop, hop, and hop to a piece of catwalk set up with a prop button, which he clicked with the tip of his cane. “Door’s opening.” He announced over the binocucom.

Sure enough, it released a pulley that dropped the drawbridge down flat. As soon as it hit the ground, Penelope was driving her car across into the small area that had been set up. Like the rest of it, it was rudimentary, but she approached it with the same level of seriousness, pivoting and aiming the small vehicle to shoot out the three sensors. “System down! It’s safe to swim.”

“A-ha! Showtime, baby!” Dimitri was off, paddling through the crevice under the set, right past the deactivated ‘bombs’ as they floated in place. He kept his breath held until he found a little alcove, just large enough for him to slip into. Another prop awaited him, a fake panel with more buttons to click. He followed the pattern he had been instructed with, and flipped the switch. “Dimitri’s got the juice! Light up the dance floor!”

“Excellent work so far, everyone!” Bentley announced over the line. “Okay, Panda King, you ready?” 

He was confused by the lack of an immediate response. “Uh...Panda King?”

“Did he get disconnected?” Asked Penelope.

“I know the signal can get fuzzy up in the rafters...Sly, can you check and make sure he’s up there?”

“Got it, buddy.” He hopped onto another pole that snaked up to a crow’s nest situated in the top corner of the room. Another easy climb, but when he made it all the way up, there was nothing to greet him but an empty platform and an abandoned chair. “Uh, Bentley? There’s nobody up here.”

“What? Well, where the heck would he be?” The turtle asked, quickly growing more frustrated. “Hold on, I’ll call Murray and ask if he’s seen him.”

He sent a direct message over to Murray’s binocucom. It was normal enough that he didn’t respond on the first few buzzes, but it was surprising to hear a different voice once the call finally patched through.

“Apologies, Murray is currently-”

“Wh- Panda King?!” Bentley practically shouted. “Why do you have Murray’s binocucom?!”

It was hard to tell from the small image in the corner, but the man appeared to be sitting on the safehouse couch. What was he doing all the way up there?

“You were supposed to be ready for the team exercise! I was very specific!”

“Apologies. I did not mean to be an interruption.”

“Augh…” The turtle grumbled, covering his face with a hand. “Well, I guess we can reset everything, can you be down in the next few minutes?”

“I...am afraid I am unable to.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“I have been impeded.”

The little image jostled, though the reason behind it eluded him until it was suddenly filled with pink. Panda King re-adjusted it to show Murray’s body slumped against him, apparently unconscious.

Bentley felt himself start to panic. “What happened?”

“He fell asleep on me.”

“He…” He wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or pull his nonexistent hair out. _“Seriously?!_ Can’t you just wake him up so you can move?”

“I could.” Panda King replied, giving Murray a gentle pat on the head. “But that would be very rude, wouldn’t it?”


	6. Rad Dad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Panda King comes to term with his role in the team, in part thanks to the Guru's help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh. Amazed I breezed through this one so fast. Guess the concept behind it just spoke to me. I know I probably took some artistic liberties with characters, but I genuinely just like the idea of the Cooper Gang, especially the Sly 3 expanded gang to feel like a bizarre found family 
> 
> Plus a bit of an aside note on the Guru- considering when the game came out, I shouldn't be terribly surprised on how the concept of Dreamtime/Dreaming was portrayed, but I wanted to try including a bit more of the philosophy into his character. I know as a non-native my understanding of it is limited to what resources I could find, but I hope I still did an okay job. (Also, since a lot of the info on the Guru and his background was vague, I went with the Warlpiri _Jukurrpa_ because the Warlpiri people live mostly in Australia's northern territory, where Yuendumu is also located.

Panda King’s role in the team was just as puzzling to him as it was to everyone else. He knew he didn’t exactly come off as approachable. Of all the gang’s members, he was the one with the most deplorable past, so that didn’t do much to endear him to the rest of the Cooper Gang. At first, he hadn’t even considered his recruitment as anything more than a job. There was some vulnerability in enlisting them to save Jing, but beyond that, he had operated on the assumption that this was paying off a debt. Nothing more, nothing less.

It was a mindset he had been able to rely on, at least at first. Panda King wasn’t prone to emotional vulnerability. It was part of the reason why he had struggled so heavily with fatherhood at first, and that gradual acclimation was even harder when it wasn’t with his own offspring. He cared for them as co-workers at best, much like the Fiendish Five, but he was nowhere near being anyone else’s father figure.

And then, out of nowhere, he was.

It still wasn’t what many people would call seamless. He wasn’t quite a normal parent- then again, the gang was far from a normal family. Little crumbs of it tripped him up along the way. Complimenting his teammates on their efforts, encouraging them to take a break after a long day, offering snippets of advice to combat their self-doubts. That was all just what any decent person would do, right? It didn’t mean anything. Especially when it came to chastising them for their recklessness. For a team of world-renowned thieves, at times they could be remarkably shortsighted in their half-baked plans and needing assistance to get out of whatever trouble it resulted in, whether it be running from the cops or needing him to help them get their hand unstuck from a jar. 

At least he wasn’t alone in his confusion towards the gang’s rowdier antics. If there was one mercy in all of this madness, that was it.

“I don’t understand where they find such energy. At times, they still feel like children.”

_“True enough. They can certainly outpace me.”_ The Guru nodded, perched on a rock. _“Though don’t some say part of living a fulfilling life, is to maintain a sense of childish wonder?”_

“Wonder is one thing, recklessness is another.”

He had found an odd sort of kinship with the koala during his tenure with the team. The Guru’s level-headed nature was a remarkable contrast to the rest of the team, and the Panda King found himself spending time around him to meditate, or to simply drink tea and converse.

“I still don’t understand, Guru. What do you have to gain by following a group of thieves? It confuses me. I would not have thought someone like you would be concerned with wealth.”

The man gave him one of his patient smiles. _“Well, you are correct in that regard. I have no need for wealth. I did not join Murray and his companions to search for money, or fame.”_

“Then why did you?”

_“Ah, sometimes the true reasoning of it still eludes me.”_ The Guru took a sip of tea. _“The fundamental nature of the Dreamtime is that of interconnectedness. It is the philosophy of how relationships exist between all things. Though at times I have wondered, while I am sustained by my belief and the stories of my ancestors passed down through generations, how my existence may be interconnected with others. The world we live in now certainly differs from the one my forebears lived in. I wish to be able to explore my place in the overlapping threads of the universe. While I have earned the title of ‘Guru,’ I can never assume I know all there is, or have seen all there is to be seen. To live is to grow, and to shift. That is one of the core aspects of Jukurrpa, that existence is ever-shifting.”_

Panda King was unfamiliar with the man’s philosophy; nonetheless, he could respect it. “So it is an opportunity for growth?”

_“Yes, of a sort. You’ve no doubt seen all manner of unfamiliar things during your time here, haven’t you?”_

That was true, but for some reason, he didn’t want to admit that. Panda King was confused by his own reluctance, and it must have shown, as the Guru gave another sage nod.

_“The current state of my existence, and my place, is not static. There will be a time when I return to my homeland and resume my work once more. But for now, I follow, and I experience.”_ He paused. _“You know, in their own individual ways, they do care for you quite a bit.”_

“What?”

_“Murray and the others.”_ The Guru said. _“I can see the emotions you are trying to repress. You’ve found yourself beginning to care for them as well, haven’t you?”_

The Panda King bristled. “Nothing beyond common decency. I would not call it caring.”

That was one of the downsides of spending time with The Guru. Wise as he was, at times that wisdom involved telling him things he didn’t want to admit he knew were true.

Likewise, he was fully unconvinced by his objections. _“You recognize these feelings, and they frighten you. You fear forming attachments because those attachments may come to hurt you, as they have before. Or that your desire to connect will be unreciprocated, or rejected. So now you hope your debt will be fulfilled as quickly as possible, so you can escape these emotions without confronting them.”_

He had nothing to say. He should have expected as much, but having his insecurities laid bare was still incredibly uncomfortable. The one mercy was that Cooper and the others weren’t around to hear it.

“Why do you tell me these things? Do you enjoy my discomfort?”

_“Nothing of the sort. I merely believe you will be able to find relief in allowing yourself to feel.”_

The two were quiet, intermittently drinking their tea. Panda King was at a loss. He felt much more like a responsible adult around the Cooper Gang, but The Guru could still make him feel like a foolish child. Though, when he thought about it, any discomfort and unease he felt was his own fault. The Guru was an understanding man, never speaking in a way that came across as mocking or condescending. So, perhaps that meant that he himself still had to grow?

_“...As I’ve said, they do care for you.”_ The Guru said, breaking the silence. _“You and I fill a role that they haven’t experienced before. As much as they reject authority, they enjoy the stability of having a guardian figure in their lives. Someone who can care for them. Even if they don’t say it aloud, they have other ways to express it.”_

He must have decided that was all there was to say, and stood up to leave. _“I know Murray was hoping to speak with me today. I look forward to conversing with you again.”_

“Wait.” Panda King interrupted his departure, with a rare hint of desperation tinging his voice. “What is it that you want me to do?”

_“What I want you to do?”_ He replied, walking staff scraping the ground. _“That’s nothing of any meaning, isn’t it? What matters is what you decide to do.”_

He bid the man a final look, and left him alone to his thoughts.

++++++

The Panda King was a father, undeniably, because he had borne a child under his name. That alone didn’t make him a good parent, or even a competent one. It definitely didn’t come naturally to him, either. As far as he knew, he wasn’t a good father. Maybe he was still a father-figure to the Cooper Gang, keeping an eye on them all and trying to help them as they traveled together as a team, but as far as he was concerned, it was still just common courtesy.

Still, he was not as surprised as he should have been to find a ‘World’s Best Dad’ mug at his bedside one day. A practical joke of Sly’s, no doubt- he’d learned the thief had a habit of harmless pranks. 

He smiled at the trinket, and tucked it away into his drawer.


End file.
